DIY vs Pro Book Cover Design

About this video

Dale argues indie authors should hire professional cover designers rather than do it themselves, using his own failure as the cautionary tale. He says in 2016 he redesigned the cover of his best-selling fitness book himself after sales waned, aping competitor Steve Kamb / Nerd Fitness, spent over 12 hours on it, and sales tanked until he restored the original cover, after which they immediately recovered. He cites a Written Word Media study he references from 2021 in which over 53% of indie authors hire a professional designer and 24% create their own. He calculates his 12 hours versus a Miblart ebook cover package he prices at about $150 meant he effectively paid himself about $12.50 per hour for a subpar result, and notes paying a friend who was a graphic designer also produced a bad cover. If money is tight, he advises not rushing to publish and raising funds via Kickstarter/Indiegogo crowdfunding, freelance gigs, or selling unused possessions. Sponsor Miblart is promoted throughout, including a giveaway winner’s positive experience handing off a difficult three-character cover.

Key takeaways

• Dale’s DIY cover redesign in 2016 took over 12 hours, confused readers, and caused sales to tank until he restored the original
• Great writing does not equal graphic design skill — treat the cover as a first impression, not an afterthought
• Do the math on time: 12 hours to save a roughly $150 professional package works out to about $12.50/hour for worse results
• A friend who is a graphic designer is not necessarily a good book cover designer — hire cover specialists
• To afford a pro when cash-strapped: delay launch, crowdfund on Kickstarter/Indiegogo, freelance, or sell unused possessions

Episode details: published September 24, 2023 · 7:40 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Dale L. Roberts’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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